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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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What used to be a dream was now a fragment of memory.
After the incident with Arietta, the subsequent memories began to flow in, as if speaking to me.
Only then did I realize that there were four children in the monastery, and besides me and Arietta, there were red-haired siblings.
I wish I had realized it sooner. Because it was a dream, I couldn’t see my surroundings. I couldn’t connect them. The dream had already told me about Alexios and Lena, but I hadn’t recognized it.
-“I don’t need you.”
I saw Oz uttering cold, heartless words. Even I, the observer, felt a sense of guilt at his contemptuous expression. Torn between the urge to intervene and the need to watch, I continued to observe the situation.
-“Don’t you get it? You’re not helpful.”
Perhaps those harsh words weren’t meant to hurt them? The Oz I knew wasn’t this cruel. He was arrogant and blunt, but he wouldn’t express that kind of contempt.
-“Useless things.”
I couldn’t understand Oz’s heart as he uttered those words. I couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or if he was intentionally being harsh for their sake. That’s how genuine Oz’s gaze seemed.
“Strange….”
Yes, strange. It was so different from what I had seen in the previous dream. I couldn’t understand the meaning of those words, as if I were looking at a different person.
No, before that….
“……Who is looking at Oz right now?”
My viewpoint was low. My body was trembling, whether from the cold or an unknown fear. I was watching Oz, hidden in the shadows.
So, who was I, watching Oz?
No, more importantly, was I even looking at Oz?
“Ah, you’ve noticed?”
And at that moment, my eyes met with the one who had chased Alexios away.
A different kind of memory began to flood in.
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“Ugh…”
It came with a sudden headache.
What did I just see?
The moment I made eye contact with Oz, I saw Alexios’ corpse, Lena’s corpse, the Mother Superior’s corpse, and Arietta’s corpse. I was watching their corpses, those who had died after following him, from the past to the future.
“Damn it…”
Did Oz have some kind of future sight?
Confused by the incomprehensible scene, I forced myself to focus. Alexios’ attack was already upon me. There was no time to think.
My extremely calm mind eased the fear. Time, already slowed by [Contemplation], slowed even further.
But it still wasn’t enough.
To reverse the situation, where I had been constantly running to keep my distance, I had to approach him. To defeat Alexios for sure, I had to unleash my magic at the closest possible range.
“Coming closer…?”
I rolled forward, dodging the heat-infused fist that had reached right in front of me. The instant I got up, I stepped forward.
I approached Alexios, deploying magic. Intermediate-level was still my limit.
Intermediate Magic
[Wind Piercing]
But it was much smoother and faster. I drew nearly double-digit composite spell formulas simultaneously, just like when I used [Mana Bullet].
[96/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
[Mana Dominator] drew the composite spell formula for the basic-level magic [Stone Cannon]. I had to utilize every bit of it.
I launched [Stone Cannon] not at Alexios, but above his head. I detonated it with one of the [Wind Piercing] spells I had prepared in the air, scattering fragments over Alexios’ head. It wouldn’t defeat him, but it would be a nuisance.
“Such petty tricks!”
As Alexios extended his fist upwards, obliterating the fragments, I moved in closer. Seeing this, Alexios swung his other fist.
He was formidable. Even with this advantage, he wasn’t willing to let me approach, unsure of my objective. It was as I expected. I rolled before his fist reached me, dodging the attack.
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
But before I could even get up, another attack came flying.
[97/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
Another beginner-level magic.
[Light Bomb].
There was no way to block the attack with this, no matter what I did. So I twisted my body to the right and deployed it to my left, detonating it.
Using the shockwave from the explosion, I narrowly avoided Alexios’ attack.
“Hah…!”
But comparing the power of a basic-level magic and [Flame Cloud Thunder Fist], I’d gained a considerable advantage. Since [Mana Dominator] didn’t hurt me, it couldn’t get any better than this.
“Now, it’s complete.”
I unleashed ten [Wind Piercing] spells that I had spent a long time preparing, piercing through Alexios’s attack.
“Tsk.”
Alexios took a light step back, avoiding the magic that had penetrated his attack. With this, I had neutralized his powerful, stationary ranged skill, [Flame Cloud Thunder Fist].
[98/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
I gradually formulated my plan.
The moment Alexios’ subsequent [Great Collapse] struck downwards, I used [Dig] to deeply excavate the ground in front of me, redirecting it. However, I didn’t have enough time like before, so I couldn’t redirect the entire shockwave.
So, I used the magic completed by [Mana Dominator] to offset the remaining shockwave.
The remaining impact I absorbed with my body as I pressed forward. Retreating was not an option.
[99/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
Even without his skills, Alexios blocked me with gusts of wind mixed with the heat of [Great Collapse]. It wasn’t as threatening as [Flame Cloud Thunder Fist], but I couldn’t ignore it completely.
I took some hits, neutralized others, and continued to advance. I threw away my cloak, nearly 50% of its defensive magic depleted. It was just a hindrance now. I couldn’t be sent back before it was over.
More importantly, this damn skill finally hit the 100 mark. While stacking, it appeared around 40, messing with me and making me furious.
[Erosion Rate 40%]
A complete mind, complete magic. In a state incredibly close to Oz, I extended my arm towards Alexios. At this distance, I could definitely take him down.
[Spatial Barrier] Lv. 1
[Spatial Barrier] blocked Alexios’ attack, which flew in during a moment of vulnerability. Knowing that [Spatial Barrier] would easily shatter, I extended my hand without hesitation.
[Mana Dominator] Lv. 2
[0/100 until guaranteed SSR-rank magic]
And finally, the completed SSR-rank magic.
My fingertips touched Alexios’ forehead.
“……Have I lost again?”
At that moment, Alexios quietly closed his eyes and relaxed his body. He had accepted defeat. To think he could be so composed after being consumed by such rage and hatred. He was truly remarkable.
“So, just as you said, we’re ultimately useless…”
“Alexios.”
Considering what had happened earlier, I knew it was better to say nothing and not make assumptions, but I had to say something.
“You are not useless.”
“Are you trying to deceive me?”
“No.”
I didn’t know the meaning behind Oz’s words in the memory I had seen, but I could say this much with certainty. He wasn’t that cruel. He just didn’t know how to express himself to others.
Thinking about it, it had always been that way. Even on the day Arietta left, he couldn’t express his vow in front of her. Oz, from the beginning, was a capable but foolish, comedic sort of guy.
-“Useless things.”
So, that memory was wrong. I wasn’t even sure if that was really Oz, so I would act according to my heart now. At 40%, my heart was Oz’s heart.
“You guys were too advanced-level. It would be a waste to use you now, wouldn’t it?”
“Ha…! You idiot…. You should have said that earlier.”
[Curse of Perpetual Snow]
“Then maybe I would have believed something.”
And a blizzard, capable of freezing even the sun, erupted before Alexios’ eyes, painting the world white.
“Sorry I’m not good with words.”
With those words, which he could no longer hear, my relationship with Alexios was settled.
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Leaving the frozen Alexios behind, I picked up my cloak. I could put it back on, but the magic deployed by [Mana Dominator] didn’t affect me.
“Arietta.”
“Ah…”
I draped my cloak over Arietta’s shoulders, who had been watching from a distance to avoid getting caught up in the fight.
I thought I was pretty cool just now. Wouldn’t even Eleanor acknowledge that?
“Thank you, Oz-nim.”
See? This was an angel. Unlike the little devil Eleanor, Arietta gave a pure smile even for such a small gesture.
“Have you settled things with Alexios?”
“Yes, well…”
It felt awkward talking about it in front of Arietta. I felt guilty, having severed my ties with her.
But it was impossible to mend our relationship with just a few words now. Things had become too tangled when we first met. And more than anything, I couldn’t take Oz’s resolve lightly.
Even if it had been Oz himself instead of me, I think his relationship with her would have remained severed. Oz was stubborn like that. He wouldn’t have approached her until he had achieved his goal, even if they were in the same place.
“Oz-nim, your expression is dark.”
“……I’m fine.”
So, I would endure, for that moment. I would keep my promise until the day I came to get her. I would definitely take her back from God’s hands.
“…….”
I covered my mouth, lost in thought.
For a moment. Yes, just a moment.
[Erosion Rate 40%]
My mind had just been consumed by 40% of Oz. And I felt no doubt or alarm about it.
I had gotten used to it. The gap between us had melted away.
“Oz-nim, you look pale. Are you really alright?”
“I’m fine…”
Actually, I wasn’t fine. Even now, a chill ran down my spine. Both Oz within me and me within Oz were afraid that we had come to accept this situation.
It would have been better if Oz had tried to eat away at my mind and assert ownership. Then, at least, I could have maintained my sense of self through that resistance.
But it was different. It wasn’t me, but us, merging together.
“Hmm… I’m fine thanks to the cloak you gave me, Oz-nim, but you must have been cold.”
“I’m fine…”
My pale complexion wasn’t due to the cold, but the [Erosion Rate]. The temperature was actually pleasantly cool, so I was fine.
As I was about to stop Arietta from rustling and unwrapping the cloak she had around her,
“Ta-da!”
She suddenly hugged me and wrapped the cloak around both of us. She hadn’t taken it off; she’d doubled it.
Feeling the warmth with the double-layered cloak, I realized. Yes, warmth. The kind of warmth that calmed my heart. Only then did I notice.
“Now we’re both warm, right? Hehe.”
“Yes…”
As Arietta said, I had been feeling cold. I had been feeling a deep loneliness from the unspoken worries within a disconnected world.
“Thanks to you, I’m not cold anymore…”
Thanks to her, I could feel the warmth in my heart, even if just for a moment. Yes, I could understand Oz’s heart.
He had been cold too. For him, who saw too much, this small warmth must have been incredibly precious. Precious enough to want to reclaim it, even from God.
“Oz-nim, I think sometimes you need to lean on someone when you’re tired. The world is too hard to endure alone.”
Arietta, her face buried in the cloak, spoke softly and soothingly, like a priest. Unconsciously, I spoke as if in confession.
“Does the Saintess ever want to lean on someone?”
“Of course. Because she is the Saintess, there are times when she needs to lean on someone.”
Arietta started to nudge me with her forehead from inside the cloak, as if to scold my foolishness. Of course, it was cute rather than painful.
“To become someone’s hope, I also need to have hope in someone. I can’t give what I don’t have.”
Focus. Arietta’s words seemed a bit serious.
“I still have hope. The hope that even if it’s been severed, it can be reconnected.”
Her talk about her mission as a Saintess… honestly, I didn’t like it.
The very fact that so many people had to place their hopes on this one girl bothered me. Oz must have felt the same way.
“Even I have difficult times.”
Arietta took a step closer to me. We were already incredibly close, but she came even closer.
“There are times when I want to lean on someone.”
She clung to my clothes as if seeking support.
“So… I’m a little… tired today.”
As if she wanted to lean on me.
It was only natural. I had settled the past with Alexios. I didn’t know if he would still be hostile when he woke up, or if our relationship would be a bit more positive.
But my relationship with Arieta was different. It was still severed. The connection was too deep for me, a possessing entity, not Oz, to mend on my own.
“Could I… lean on you, just for today, Oz?”
This was probably jealousy. She was jealous of Alexios, seeing the severed connection between her and me.
“Arie…”
“Uh… Hmm… Sorry to interrupt, but can I talk to you for a second? Oz.”
A familiar voice suddenly came from somewhere. At the sound, which awkwardly tried to make its presence known, Arietta quickly pulled away from me.
“…I really am sorry to interrupt, but could we talk for a moment? Oz.”
“Yes, Headmaster… I thought you’d be coming soon.”
“But that… Never mind. It’s fine.”
Tia stopped as she was about to say something, seeing Arietta’s pathetically shrunken form. Even she, with her bad personality, didn’t seem to want to upset Arietta.
“…….”
Arietta covered her face with the double-layered cloak. It wouldn’t matter since she didn’t see with her eyes anyway, but her appearance, which looked suffocatingly uncomfortable, made me uncomfortable too.
“……Please, talk.”
“Yes…”
“I, uh, apologize. Should I have come a bit later?”
“Please stop tormenting me with such words, Headmaster.”
“Uh… Right. Oh! Come to think of it, there seems to be a patient over there who needs healing. Could I ask you to take care of him?”
“Yes.”
Arietta scurried away. Even with her face completely covered by the cloak, she seemed to have no trouble moving.
“Oh…”
And realizing that the person the Headmaster had pointed to was Alexios, Arietta covered her face again, having forgotten about him. Even though I couldn’t see her face, I could tell she was embarrassed.
“Uh… Hmm, hmm. Oz?”
“I’m listening.”
“……You haven’t said anything yet.”
Tia muttered, scratching her cheek. If she was going to be this awkward, she should have just stayed silent. It was making everyone uncomfortable.
“Did you do that?”
Tia asked, pointing at the collapsed Alexios. She looked quite troubled.
“Of course.”
As I shrugged and answered, Tia rubbed her eyes in distress.
“This is driving me crazy…”
It was understandable. The fact that I had displayed such power despite wearing her magic tool, which suppressed magic power, meant there was a flaw in her design.
There was no one in the world who could blame her, but if this was left unaddressed, her authority would be damaged. For a dragon, damaged authority would be an unbearable humiliation.
“This is insane…. How the hell did you bypass it?”
“……Perhaps you were careless in making the magic tool, Headmaster.”
“You little…”
There was a clear method, [Mana Dominator], but revealing it now would be foolish. Besides, no one would believe that I had a method that surpassed even a dragon’s power.
Tia couldn’t prove my method anyway. Even if she could, people wouldn’t believe it. It would mean acknowledging the existence of a threat as great as her.
In the end, people would think it was the result of Tia’s somewhat lax personality.
“Headmaster, if you’re having trouble, how about we make a deal?”
“……What are you thinking?”
Today, with the blizzard still raging, I finally had the upper hand against this lizard.
“……Why are you smiling like that?”
“Don’t worry, Headmaster. It won’t be anything bad.”
It was finally time to crush the [Death King]’s plan.
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